The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-10-05
Preparing Garden Soil.
Chicago Times,

II farmers expect to have good gardens
next year they should commence TO pre-
pare the land this fall. In the spring there
will be too much to do in the fields 70 adj
NIT CT spending much time in putting the
garden spot in a condition TO plant. If
the old site is to be used again, the rub
bish on it should be cleared of after the
roots are harvested. All the weeds, bean
and pea vines, as we'll as the stalks OF
sweet corn and potato tops should be col
tected in heaps and burned when thu
weather Is favorable. Cattle will eat most
of the tops OF beets, carrots and turnip',
and any that remain can be buried in tn.
ground, which they will enrich. Succt-
lent vegetation, like the vines of cucum-
bers, melons and squashes. aud the leaves
of plants raised for their roots, will soon
decay when they are covered with soil,
but hard substances are best disposed of by
burning. By reducing them to ashes a
most valuable fertilizer is obtained, and
the soil is freed from substances that
would interfere with the use of the spade,
hoe and rake. Fire will destroy the seeds
Of many weeds, as we'll as the eggs of insects,
and be of considerable benefit to the soil.
II another piece of ground be selected
for garden, as one ON which corn or DO.
tatoes was raised this year, it should be
cleared in the same way. A good garden
can be made on land now covered with
clover or tame grass sod, and such land
has the advantage of being free from the
seeds of weeds. II the sod is covered to
the thickness of three inches with we'll
rotted manure, the grass and clover will be
killed, and il can be plowed later in the
fall. The plow should run deep so as to
cover the sod and manure. Land which
has produced two crops of red clover is
well adapted to gardening purposes. II is
ordinarily free from weeds. The roots
stalks, and leaves of red clover soon decay
when they are buried, and make excellent
manure. 4 clover lot that has been used
for hog pasture can be converted into
garden with little trouble. Unless a far
mer is willing to be at considerable trouble
to apply manure, it is advisable to change
the location OF the garden every three or
four years. Most plants raised in garden
are very gross feeders. and soon exhaust
the fertility of the soil, thus rendering the
liberal application of manure absolutely
necessary.
Farmers generally fail to have good gar
dens because they are not sufficiently lib
eral in the application of suitable manure.
They think that land which is rich enough
to raise good crop of potatoes will pro-
duce as fine vegetables as they see in mar
ket gardens near large cities, and as many
of them. In this they are mistaken. Not
often can natural soil be found that is
sufficiently rich TO produce large crops of
very fine vegetables. The quality of most
garden vegetables Will not be good unless
they grow quickly, and rapid growth is
only secured by the liberal application OF
fertilizers The same Is true in respect to a
Large yield. A vegetable garden calls for a
large amount OF work, and most of it will
be spent for naught IL the soil is not very
rich. The quicker plants in garden at
tain size 10 shade the ground, and the
more luxurious their growth, the less
will be the amount of work re-
CURED to properly tend to them.
As manure hastens and stimulate,
the growth OF the plants, it effects saving
of labor By applying suitable manure to
the soil of the garden in the fall, and in
liberal quantities the work required In il
next summer may be greatly relieved
The best general fertilizers for garden
are the dung OF horses and cattle and the
dfeppings oil fowls, the latter being very
valuable for plants that grow in hills
Rank manure, especially that taken from
the hog pen, is unsuitable. It is likely to
destroy the vitality of seeds and to imparl
vile flavor TO roots Wood ashes are very
desirable on account of the large amount
OF potash they contain. More benefit viii
be derived from bones than from almos
any fertilizer that can be applied to tn,
garden, as they contain the most phosphO